Left Atrial Appendage

The left atrial appendage (LAA), described as the “most lethal human attachment,” is responsible for >90% of embolic strokes. In 2020, stroke was the fifth leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease, cancer, COVID‐19, and unintentional injury.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a 4‐ to 5‐fold increased risk of ischemic stroke and accounts

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Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure is a procedure that blocks or closes the opening to your LAA to keep blood clots from leaving there and going into your bloodstream. This prevents strokes in people with atrial fibrillation, who are unable to take reliably or have a contraindication to blood thinners like bleeding.